I n d e p t h    A n a l y s i s
No room for rumors!

Kathmandu: Talk of major political changes is a swing again. At best, there is likely to be a change in cabinet, minor adjustments needed under Chand over the past months of experience. Talk of major change however, is more anticipatory than real. Belligerent party standpoints regarding the government have made their accommodation hardly likely. These are at best party rumors to keep cadre anticipatory. At worst, this would seem wishful thinking since it would mean unraveling the achievements of the past few months. And these are many.

Foremost among them is the sense of peace and order that prevails at the moment and permeates society. It is this that keeps the people away from party standpoints. To boot, the Maoists-Government talks have heightened anticipation and it is unlikely that the effort will be to destabilize it. Obversely, the party standpoints are being seen as destabilization oriented. The Maoists, for example, appear to be facing an uphill task in their contacts with the party leaders.

Both Girija Prasad Koirala and Madhav Kumar Nepal have backed themselves into an unmanageable corner. They know that the peace talks will not be complete without their political participation. The tussle on the other hand is on pushing the talks ahead. Peace can’t wait for the Congress and the UML. This too they are aware of.

As spurious as the rumors of change become, government is aware that it will have to bank on its performance with the Maoists. For all practical purposes this will be the card better used by the Maoists. Here, the parties’ play. As difficult as it is to isolate the mainstream in bringing the Maoists to the mainstream, it will be made more difficult in the background of the mainstream political parties playing the dog in the manger.

A stalemate of this type if in the making will be the sole reason for any other major change. This is what is being targeted by the parties and so the rumor.

We will abide by government instructions
Army ready to return to barracks if the govt so desires -Royal Nepal Army

by Niraj Aryal

Kathmandu: At a Press conference organized Tuesday by the Military Headquarters at its premises the Royal Nepal Army refuted the allegations made in the recent past by some political quarters that the Nepali army was not under the parliament.

The Royal Nepal Army has made it abundantly clear that when the force is being mobilised as per the instructions of a constitutionally established Defence Council, no suspicion and confusion should arise in the minds of the political quarters.

On the occasion, the RNA clarified that it had been working for the cause of establishing peace in the country and were always ready for making security situation better and participate in the development processes initiated by the government under the Integrated Development scheme.

When asked what if the RNA is told to assimilate the Maoists military personnel into the mainstream Nepali army, the Army Officer Dipak Gurung said that as the Maoists too were genuine Nepali citizens and hence they deserve every right to help the nation by being in the Nepal Army.

"If the Government so decides, the RNA would be ready to accept them mentally and physically both", added Major Gurung.

He however admitted that there have been some instances of minor clashes in between the security forces and the Maoists rebels even after the ceasefire announcement of January 29.

"If some one comes to fire at us, we need to retaliate and this is what has been happening in remote areas. But the clashes of higher dimensions as it used to be in the past have all stopped", added Major Gurung. But on the overall, the other camp has been exhibiting its good intentions after the ceasefire announcement, continued Gurung.

To a query as to which side emerged victorious after the ceasefire announcement, pat came the reply from Mr. Gurung that it had been a victory of the Nepalese and those who long for peace.

To yet another query of a media man, Major Gurung made it amply clear that their remaining in the districts and the Maoists affected areas depended on the government.

"If the government instructs us to come back to the barracks, we would return in minutes", declared Gurung.

Koirala swinging Madhav Nepal’s way

Kathmandu: President Koirala appears that he will not settle for less than the restoration of the parliament.

The Constitutional monarch too appears adamant in not reviving the now dissolved parliament.

Madhav Nepal of the UML has kept his options open for he has made up his mind to face any eventuality that suits to his personal interests in particular and the interest of his party in general.

A frustrated Sher Bahadur Deuba too appears to have taken a new stand in the recent days wherein he now reiterates that what others will decide, he will toe the line. This also in some way or the other is very much similar to the UML line of keeping all the options open.

The RPP led by Pashupati Rana is exhibiting its party being more Catholic than the Pope and in the process dared not to attend an-all party meet summoned by his own leader who at the moment is the country’s prime minister. In doing so, Mr. Rana apparently hints that his party is no less democratic than those who have been opposing the incumbent establishment led by Lokendra Chand. The ultimate aim of Monsieur Rana appears to unseat his party colleague Mr. Chand.

The Sadbhavana continues to be in a mess and hence possesses no say in the fastly changing country’s political scenario after the announcement of the ceasefire by the government and the Maoists on January 29, last month.

Smaller Left parties have practically no role and hence they have either joined the voices of the UML or have left the politics to the mercy of the Almighty.

To begin with, president Koirala in his bid to press the King to heed to his terms managed the UML’s support and have jointly decided to wage a struggle against the monarch till the latter yielded to their demands. However, the UML appears to have badly deceived president Koirala. President Koirala and General Secretary Madhav Nepal now differ in their perceptions.

While Koirala would firstly wish the King to restore the parliament and secondly, through the use of the Article 128 for an all party government that would take up the Maoists issue properly and effectively, the UML expectedly prefers an all party government at the centre and will not mind whether such a government is formed by the King directly or through the way as charted by Koirala.

This is where the two political animals differ now.

A clever UML would wish to head the government and take up the Maoists issue. The UML idea is to play tricks at the conference which could materialise only when the party is in the government.

Poor Koirala made this revelation while he was in Biratnagar the other day.

" It appears that the UML leader will not mind in heading an all party government even if it is formed by the King directly", remarked Koirala in Biratnagar.

If this is so then what could be predicted in advance is that the congress and the communists would differ on the procedures that forms an all party government.

The UML better understands that the monarch will not go the way as suggested by Koirala and has thus kept its options open which means that if the situation so demanded, the party will come to power.

Analysts opine that president Koirala’s demand for the reinstatement of the parliament is redundant in the sense that even if the King so desires, he can’t give a new lease of life to the parliament for the dissolution has already been approved by the nation’s apex court. The King would thus prefer to keep a comfortable distance and would not go against the SC decisions. This means that to hope for a revival of the parliament would be hoping against hope.

The UML understands all these technicalities involved in the restoration of the parliament and thus has kept all its options open—it is open even for pulling the carpet under the feet of president Koirala should such an opportunity that allows the UML to bounce back to power.

Poor Koirala considers the communists as his friends, which they are not.

Chaudhary gives a new twist to the idea of constituent assembly

Kathmandu: Nepali Congress president Koirala is yet to come back to senses from the shock he felt on the sudden announcement of the ceasefire by the government and the Maoists on January 29.

He is yet to reconcile with the fast changing political events in the country that began unfolding in series after the January 29 declaration. In the process, he is linking each and every move of the government and the Maoists for talks with his "grand design" theory. Nevertheless, he is meeting the Maoists leaders but yet finds it difficult to digest the peace formula that the Maoists and the government apparently have drafted prior to sitting on the negotiating table.

In sum, Koirala sees a threat to him, his party, the system and the constitution simply because the ceasefire was announced without taking him in confidence. According to him, that was a Himalayan blunder.

The Deuba party has mixed reactions to the suddenly announced ceasefire agreement. If on the one hand the Deuba congress is forced to hail the announcement but remains skeptical about the outcome of the talks.

To recall, it was Deuba who during his tenure as prime minister managed talks with the rebels which continued till the third round and abruptly failed.

The Maoists leaders, Mr. Mahara and Dina Nath Sharma, who met Deuba at his residence the other day were supposedly taken aback when Deuba pressed them to divulge the origin of the last telephone call that instantly brought the talks to a grinding halt.

"From where you guys received the last telephone call? Was the question that Deuba continuously posed to the Maoists leaders at his residence. The Maoists leaders did not divulge the details of the last telephone call.

Understandably, most of the leaders of the political parties remain puzzled over the government’s readiness to go in for a constituent assembly. They opine how the political interests of two diametrically opposed forces, that is the republicanists and the monarchists, could be satisfied through the formation of a constituent assembly?

Analysts say that the demand for a constituent assembly by the republicanists is understandable, but what is mysterious is the monarchists too agreeing to go in for a constituent assembly?

According to analysts, what makes the monarchists so sure about the outcome of the voting of the constituent assembly members in their favor? They hasten to add what if the CA favored a republican state? Will the King compromise?

All these put together, the political parties see designs in the agreement arrived at between the monarchists and the Maoists for a constituent assembly. They fear that the outcome of the CA voting might strengthen the hands of the constitutional monarch and thus appear reluctant in giving a nod to the formation of a constituent Assembly.

The Maoists appear adamant in favor of constituent assembly. The political parties exhibit their reluctance.

In the meanwhile, the newly appointed Chairman of the Royal Standing Committee, Mr. Parsu Narayan Chaudhary, has floated yet another idea other than the formation of the constituent assembly.

"If the political parties rise above personal gains and leaders shed their ego to build a national consensus, extensive constitutional amendment and reforms could find a way out of the current crisis", says Honorable Chaudhary.

Mr. Chaudhary’s highly political remarks have come at a time when most of the political parties have been opposing the formation of a constituent assembly as demanded by the rebels.

It is altogether a different matter to ascertain as to whose voice Monsieur Chaudhary ventilated; the political parties’ or those of the monarch’s?

If it were a voice spoken by Chaudhary in favor of the political parties then what could be its underlying meaning? By the same token, if Chaudhary’s remarks ventilated the monarch’s inner feelings then should this mean that the latter too is against the formation of a constituent assembly. It further should mean that the monarch too is ready to discuss extensive constitutional amendments so that the would be amendments take proper care of those who remained totally neglected by the 1990 constitution.

But the Maoists will not settle for less than constituent assembly; round table conference and an all party interim government.

In the meanwhile, Dr. Henning Karcher, the Country representative of the UN system in Nepal has said that "long term peace in Nepal is possible only if the root causes of the conflict are properly addressed".

In saying so, Dr. Karcher hints that the Maoists insurgency were the cumulative effect of frustrations of the marginalised population of the country since the country adopted a multiparty system in 1990. "Abject poverty and inefficient delivery of social services are solely to be blamed for the present state of affairs", added Dr. Karcher.

To sum up, analysts fail to understand as to why the major political parties appear shy in facing a constituent assembly? Does this mean that they feel ashamed in facing a public whom they cheated all along thirteen years of the socalled democratic rule?

If this is so then they have to face the music at time when they would go to seek votes. But the Maoists rebels will not settle for less which means that the country is all set to gear up for a constituent assembly.

Unconfirmed sources say that the monarch might address the nation shortly and will declare a sort of referendum with two options: should the country go in for a constituent assembly or the 1990 constitution be extensively amended to address the grievances of the people who were grossly neglected by the politicians who drafted the 1990 constitution?

But will the Maoists give a nod to this referendum that is still in its embryonic stage? And that about the round-table conference? Who is to summon this conference? The King or the Chand government?

All put together, several nitty-gritties appear to be sorted out before the round table conference is convened.

Khetan to support University in Parsa district

Kathmandu: It has already been established that Nepal’s major political parties used the students and the educational institutions in the last thirteen "democratic years" for their political purposes making the students as their political tools and thus ruined their future career.

While the politicians would wish to see their political stronghold increasing in the educational institutions, Nepal’s social sector on the contrary would prefer the increase in the establishment of a few more higher educational institutions in order to serve the country better.

The industrial sector also in this regard will not lag behind should the population of a particular area so desired came to the fore when Nepal’s noted Industrial wizard and social worker, Mohan Gopal Khetan, last week expressed his inner willingness to go in for the establishment of a University in Birganj, Bara district.

He however, made it abundantly clear that the proposal had to come from the population of that particular area.

Mr. Khetan made this solemn declaration while he was speaking at a program that marked the 22nd anniversary of Hari Khetan Multiple Campus last week.

"You the citizens of this area proceed, I am here to cooperate you financially for the construction of the University", divulged Mr. Khetan who flew to Birganj in order to attend the anniversary celebrations of the said Campus.

He also mentioned that his financial assistance to the Kathmandu University could be cited as an example for the KU now is taken for granted to be one of the best Varsities in Asia.

"I will fully and unconditionally support a proposal that pertains to the establishment of a Narayani University here", declared industrialist Khetan and bagged accolades from the attending gathering.

( See edit also).

AMERICAN JAZZ BAND TO PERFORM AT "JAZZMANDU 2003"

Kathmandu: The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce the participation of the American jazz band, "Jamie Baum Quartet," in the second Kathmandu Jazz Festival, "Jazzmandu 2003," scheduled to take place from February 28 to March 15 in Kathmandu and Pokhara. The group consists of flutist Jamie Baum, guitarist Kenny Wessel, bass guitarist Jerome Harries and drummer Jeff Hirshfield.

Jamie Baum has impressed musicians and critics alike with her inventive, finely crafted compositions and powerful and atypical approach to the flute as a lead instrument. Ken Wessel, a versatile, sensitive and soulful guitarist, ahs performed at major jazz festivals, concert halls and in radio and television, appearing in 24 countries. Jerome Harries majored in jazz guitar at new England Conservatory of Music, graduating with honors. Jeff Hirshield, known as a consummate and versatile jazz drummer and clinician, has recorded over 100 CD’s and has toured the world several times over with many of jazz giants. In 2001 and 2002 the group performed in South Asia under the U.S.State Department/John F. Kennedy Center’s Jazz Ambassador Touring Program. The musicians have performed together in different settings and configurations for over the past 10 years.

The objective of the festival is to enhance the image of Nepal as a safe and fun destination; to provide opportunity for local musicians to play internationally; and give people a reason to have another look and to perhaps attract travelers and musicians who might not previously have considered Nepal as a destination.

Bands and soloists from the UK, Australia, UAE and India, along with Nepal’s own jazz quartet and co-organizers, Cadenza will perform at various locations in the two cities. Nepal and its visitors can experience an innovative musical fusion of east and west in the heart of the Himalayas.

Nepal successfully hosted its first Jazz Festival, "JAZZMANDU 2002" in February 2002. For mor3e information, please check out http//kathmandu.usembassy.gov.

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